


Turn of the Universe

by infinite_regress



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Romance, hybrid baby, parenting, sleeplessnights. . ., whouffaldi, whouffaldi baby fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 10:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7798873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infinite_regress/pseuds/infinite_regress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clara needs some sleep. The Doctor needs to introduce his son to the universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turn of the Universe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DaisyofGalaxy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyofGalaxy/gifts).



  www.flic.kr/p/KRepLU 

The Doctor looked at Clara. She was bone weary, mussed hair, and her face creased into a frown.  Long hours in labour, nights of broken sleep, and feeding a fussy new-born had taken a toll, and now, their baby just wouldn’t stop crying.

“I’ve just changed him, and fed him.” She looked at the boy screaming in her arms.  “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

The Doctor took the red-faced bundle from her. The boy waved his tiny fists in the air and announced his displeasure with a hearty wail.

He looked closely at his son. He was born in the vortex; he began there too, if you wanted to talk of such things, so he was time-touched in more ways than one. He was a new soul; his mind was open and raw. Right now it looked like the universe was crashing in on him.

“I think he’s a little overwhelmed.”

“I know how he feels.” Clara flopped back into the bed and hiked the pillow over her face. “Wake me up when he’s sixteen.”

The Doctor looked again at his son. “Leo, I think mummy needs a break,” he nestled the tiny boy against his shoulder and padded softly from the room. He turned at the door. Clara had emerged from under the pillow and rolled onto her side. He flicked the light off as he left.

He paced the corridors of the TARDIS with Leo in the crook of his arm, head resting against his shoulder. His hair rubbed, soft as silk, against his cheek and his body was warm. He had human body temperature, a degree or two higher than his own. But two hearts pumping blood, furiously right now, around his body. Time Lord, human, together. There was no road map for this journey. No wonder they all felt a little overwhelmed.

“Hey, you’re getting yourself in a state, little fella.” He rocked him and shushed him as they paced the corridors, but Leo’s wails didn’t diminish.

He wandered into the console room, providing a running commentary, in the way of parents everywhere, as he went.  

“. . . and this is where the good stuff happens. Well, some of the good stuff. Good stuff happens other places too. But, we’ll have a lot of fun in here. I’ll teach you how to calibrate the dimensional stabilisers.” He paused. He hadn’t talked to anyone about Gallifreyan technology in a very long time. A lump rose in his throat. He wasn’t the last of the Time Lords anymore.  

The boy didn’t share this moment of emotional insight with his father, his wails went on unabated. The Doctor shifted him onto the other shoulder and then flicked open the TARDIS doors.

“Okay, universe, meet Leo. Leo, this is the universe. You’re going to be great pals.”

He sat at the edge of the TARDIS and let his legs swing back and forth over the void.

“You see that?” He pointed to a faraway constellation. “That’s  the Eye of Felaris. Supernovae and black holes so big they make your toes curl. He cradled Leo in his arms so the boy was facing out into the void. “And over there is the Milky Way. Millions of inhabited planets. Life spreading across the void.” He pointed to a pinprick of light. “And Mummy’s home. Earth.” He lowered his tone. “I’m quite fond of Earth. I expect we’ll spend plenty of time there.”

Leo’s wails decreased from wild sobs to tiny trills.

“And Daddy’s home.” He looked into the void, eyes full of sadness. “Gallifrey. Two suns.  You know, those suns painted the whole sky orange. Sometimes, I’d wake early and creep into the forest just as the suns came up. The leaves on the trees were silver, and that first crack of dawn glowing through the branches made it seem the whole world was on fire.”

Leo was staring now, his eyes glassy, his little hands waving rhythmically to the sound of his father’s voice.

The Doctor rocked Leo gently. “Can you feel it? The turn of time? The universe racing apart, always expanding? There’s always something new. Planets to run on, people to meet. Oh, Leo, it’s going to be quite an adventure.” The baby was silent now. His was face relaxed, his cheeks soft and white, and his eyes flicked closed. This was the biggest adventure of them all, right here, right now, with the woman he loved and child to cherish and watch grow. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them, no lengths he wouldn’t go to to keep them safe. Davros had been so very wrong. Compassion doesn’t make you weak. It makes you strong. When you love, that love gives you something to fight for. Love makes you try harder, run faster, keep going even when it seems impossible. It's the most powerful force in the universe. 

He looked down at the babe now asleep in his arms, and swallowed back a wave of emotion. He’d made plenty of mistakes, and it was time he did something about that. No tears, no regrets. This time there would be no parting of the ways, no fine words or speeches about going forward with faith. It was plain and simple. He whispered, “I’m yours, Leo. Forever.” They sat, for a very long time, father and son, together at the edge of the universe.

Sometime later he felt Clara sit beside him. She peered down at Leo, now asleep peacefully. The Doctor held the boy in one arm and placed the other around Clara’s shoulder.

She stroked Leo’s tiny hand. “He looks content now."

The Doctor looked at Clara, now rested, smiling up at him. He had his family in his arms, his home at his back, and the whole universe in front of him. Who could ask for more?  “I know how he feels,” he said quietly, smiling and looking down at the boy again. “It’s going to be quite an adventure.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this gentle little fic. But don't get to comfortable, because the monsters are coming. . .
> 
> 'Monsters' is almost ready to be let lose on AO3. Watch this space. . .


End file.
